Wednesday, November 6, 2013

DIY Liberty Print Scrunchie Tutorial

There’s no denying it, love em or hate em, scrunchies are back. Get some 90's vibes with my simple DIY tutorial! I absolutely love Liberty Art Fabrics and this particular print, Betsy D, is just about my favourite! A little bit of Liberty print can go a long way and this project is perfect for injecting just the right amount of floral freshness into an outfit.

To make one large scrunchie you will need:

A piece of Liberty print fabric 60cm long by 14cm wide

A length of strong, slim elastic (around 30cm will be plenty)

Matching cotton thread

Needle (for hand sewing)

Sewing machine

Fabric scissors / pinking shears

Ruler or tape measure

Stitch marker or tailor's chalk

Pins

A knitting needle (not essential but helpful!)

Iron

Step 1: First Iron your fabric, then using your stitch marker and ruler, mark out a rectangle 60cm long and 14 cm wide. Cut out the rectangle of fabric using either pinking shears or fabric scissors.

Step 2: With the right side (RS) of the fabric facing you, fold over the fabric on the right hand edge (this should be one of the short sides) by 1cm and press flat. Then with the RS of the fabric still facing, fold the rectangle in half horizontally along the length so that the two RS of fabric are together. Iron the fabric flat and pin along the length.

Step 3:Sew along the open edge of the fabric, leaving a 1cm seam allowance. Remember to remove any pins one by one before the needle reaches them! Back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam to secure the thread. You should now have a nice neat tube of fabric!

Step 4: Here’s where the knitting needle comes in handy! You need to turn the fabric tube you’ve just created inside out and press once more.

Step 5: Don’t put that knitting needle away just yet! Take a length of elastic and tie to the end of your knitting needle then use it to thread the elastic through the tube of fabric twice over. Carefully pull the elastic until it’s the size you want (you can use an existing hair band to help judge when the size is right). Tie the elastic securely using a couple of double knots and trim the ends.

Step 6: Nearly there! Overlap the ends of the fabric, with the folded edge top most. Using your needle and thread, slip stitch the two layers of fabric together! By stitching into the folded edge your seam will be almost invisible once you’re finished!

Step 7: Wear with pride!

These scrunchies are so simple and quick to make - you can easily whip up a handful over the course of an afternoon! Have fun mixing and matching your favourite Liberty prints!

You don't have to stick to one size either! I made these slim scrunchies using a rectangle of fabric 60cm long and 7cm wide - just adjust the width to suit your taste!

I bought my fabrics from Liberty London and had a lovely time deciding which patterns to choose. If you can't visit in person you can order all their fabrics through their website.John Lewis have a fantastic haberdashery department where you can buy your elastic, threads and even a sewing machine!